Improvement in harvesters



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AMOS RANK, OF SALEM, OHIO..

Leners Parent No. 77,526, dared May 5, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

To vALL WHoM IT MAY eoNonRN:

Be it known that I, Amos RANK, of Salem, in the county of Columbiana, and State of Ohio, have-invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reaping-blaeliiucry; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making p'art of Y this specification, in whichv Figure 1 is a perspective view of a reeling and dropping-attachment having my improvements applied to it.

Figure 2 is an elevation ofthe inner side of such attachment, showing the improved belt-tghtener..

Figures 3 and 4 represent the grain-wheel, and the method of attaching it to the outer divider.

Figure 5 is a view of the grain-side of the inner divider, showing' the manncrof adjusting it.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements on reaping-machinery, wherein the fingerbar .is hinged in such manner that it will vibrate and also rise and descend bodily, so os to accommodate itself to the undulations of the ground over which it is drawn, and wherein a slatted dropping-platform is employed,

in conjunction with a grain-guard or fender, for the purpose of-eii'ecting the discharge of the cut grain from the platform in gevels bythe action of the stubble aloneand wherein the reel, for gathering in the-stand,- ing grainto be cut, is supportedat its inner end bymeans of a post, which is sustained by and allowed to move in harmony with the nger-beam. y

The nature of my invention consists in providing the endless chainor belt which communicates motion to the reel with a simple device, which will always keep said belt under proper tension and prevent it from slipping; said device consisting of an angular arm, which is `pivotcd to thc reel-post, and which carries on one end a grooved wheel, thatis pressed against the belt or chain by means of a spring-strap, acting upon the opposite end of this arm during the rising and falling movements of the platform and consequent changes in relation of the reel-pulley to the driving-pulley of the main or draught-frame. y Thus, with a single tension-pulley'and'a. simple angle-lever and a cheap spring, all appliedin a simple and convenient way, the belt which drives the reel will be kept taut under all g'yrations Vof the hinged 'nger-beam and ,platform on which the reel is mounted, as will be hereinafter described.

The invention also consists in attaching the inner divider or gathering-board to the reel-post, by means of an angular bracket, in such manner that the front end-of this divider can be readily adjusted higher or lower,l

according to the character of the grain to be cut, as will be hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.' v In .the accompanying drawings, A represents the inner shoe, which is adapted for being hinged to the rear end of en inclined dragebar upon a main draught-frame, and also for being attached to said frame by means of an inclined transverse hinged brace. To this shoe, A, the4 finger-bar E and a standard, a, are rigidly bolted,- as shown in gs. l and 2. This shoe, A, is also constructed with an open bearing, b, for receiving a rockingpin which is upon the inner end of the platform-bar C.

The outer end of the finger-bar B has a shoe, D, rigidly secured to it, which is constructed with an eye` bearing, b', for receiving a rocking-pin, upon the outer end of the platform-bar C- This shoe, D, has a hollow slotted standard, c, bolted to it, the upper end of which is bent at an angle, so as to receive upon'a'nd have bolted to it the divideruguard E of the divider E. This divider is suitably bolted to the shoe D, and secured to the guard El and shoe-extension E2, which lutter is bolted to the toe of the metal shoe D, as shown in tig. 3. The slotted standard c has a slide, e, secured to it by means of a bolt, the head of which is between this standard and the divider E, so that, while this bolt cannot be drawn out of the slot in the standard, it will, when loosened, allow the outer end of th finger-bar to be adjusted nearer to or farther from the ground, according to the height of cut required. To the front part of-the slide e' an arm, F is hinged, by means of a vertical pin passed through ears which `are formed on saidv slide, as shown in iig. 3. The arm F is curved, as shown, and has a short axle secured to it, upon which is the grain-whccl G. Just in rear ofthe hinge of the arm F, a stud,

g, is aliixed to it, which stud is arranged upon the inner side of its arm, and made of suicient length to abut against the slide e when the arm F is brought at right angles to the finger-bar, as shown in fig. 4.' This stud, g, will thus prevent the wheel G from striking against the shoe D or the outer divider E, but allow it to swing outward freely.

To the inner side of the standard a the reel-postH is secured by means of two bolts, the lower one of which serves as a pivot for allowing the post to be inclined more or less, and the upper bolt passes through a slot which is madthrough standard a, concentric to'the axis of the lower bolt, for the purpose of securing thc post rigidly in place when it is adjusted to the position required. Upon this post, H, a collar, I, is slipped,4

which can be secured in place at dii'erent heights from thcbottom of the post by means of a set-scrcw, z'. This adjustable collar, I, isconstructed with an eye-bearing, for receiving the short shaft Jsof the reel J', and also with tvro ears,j, projecting from its rear side.

On the inner end of the reel-shaft J a grooved pulley or chain-druni, h, is keyed, around which a belt, 7c, passes, which belt also passes behind and under the grooved pulleys h', near the lower end of the rcel-post, and from thence to a pulley on thc axle of a main frame, or on a pulley which derives -its motion from the drivewheels of the harvester, as shown in gs. 1 and 2. Between the pulleys 7i and h is a groovedwheel, 1.', which isjpressed forward against the belt K, so as to keep this belt under proper tension, by means of au Iniliwrubber strap, l, acting uponwthe arm of an angular lever, m, which is pivoted to the reel-post H, as shown, and which carries said grooved wheel, t', as shown clearly in the drawings. The spring Zwill keep the wheel /c in contact with the belt K, and this will keep the belt tight, without dragging upon it or creating undue friction during Vthe rising-andfalling movement of the platform on'its hinge-joint connections, and consequent change in the relation of the reel-pulleys to the driving-shaft pulley.

To the ears j, upon the adjustable collar I, the bifurcatcd ends of a bent rod, L, are pivoted, so as to allow this rod io vibratefreely in a vertical plane. The lower end of the rod L is bent outward,r and has a guard or fender-bar, L', secured to it, which extends transversely across the platform C', and serves to catch the falling grain during the act of discharging grain fromsaid plattform. Near the pivoted ends of' the red L, and upon this rod, is an adjustable collar, p, to which is secured, by a pivot-joint, the upper end of a connecting-rod, M, the lower end of which ispivoted to au arm, v, projecting from the inner pivot-pin of the platform-bar C. The rod M has several holes through it, at and near its upper extremity, for thc purpose oflengthcning or shortening the distance between its two'points of connection.

When the platform is raised to a position for collecting cut grain upon it, tli'e rod M will throw the guard L up out of the way of the grain as it falls upon said platform, and when the platform is allowed to drop upon the stubble for discharging its load, the guard'will be simultaneously brought down to o. position for receiving the falling grain, and preventing this grain from reaching thc platform during the discharging-operation It will be seen that the platform or grain-recever C is composed of slats, arranged at proper distances apart, and secured atright anglesto the beam C, so that when this platform' is allowed to drop upon the stubble, the latter will carry of any grain which may be upon it.

The inner divider or gathering-board P is arranged on the outer side of the reelpost H and standard a, and it is sustained in proper position by means of an angular bracket, T, which is shown in iig. 5,-also in iig. 1. This bracket, T, is bolted rigidly to 4the post H, and the board P is securedto by means of two bolts, s s', one of which passes through a curved slot, t, made through the board, and the otherscrves as a pivot to allow the front end ofV said board to be raised or depressed when the bolt s is loosenedp! l,

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to sccureh'yI Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in a belt-tightener, of the angular lever m, springl, und the grooved wheel/f, sub. stantially as and for the purpose described.

2. Applying the inside divider P to a bracket, '.l, upon tho reel-post H, and making this divider adjustable, substantially as described.

AMOS RANK.

Witnesses:

Tnos. S. Barna, C. W. CADwALLADEn. 

